He mesmerized us both. My brother, who is a farmer and a good Bible scholar, and I sat motionless.  The only sound other than the preacher was the quiet sobs and sniffles of the congregation.  Even “amens” were muted as the power of the Spirit worked through the preacher.  He told of his childhood, his struggles, and how a loving a church ministered to him, how God saved Him, and how the Bible was shaping his life.  We bought tapes of the conference, but on the long drive home, we listened to that one sermon over and over.

But it was all a lie.  He lied about his childhood.  He lied about the church.  He lied about what God was doing in his life.  When someone told me he was not what he appeared to be, I wanted to fight.  I was outraged that anyone would slander such a godly preacher.  But the reports were true.  And the worst part was that the lies were not the worst part.  On December 28 he was released from a three year prison sentence for sex crimes. What are the lessons here?

1.     The Word of God is true, but even the best men are not.  All of us sin, and sin is not to be taken lightly.  But a marred vessel can still deliver the Living Water.

2.     Hero worship should be beneath us.  Beware of hanging on every tweet or status update of the influential among us. Beware of making mortals your guiding light.  Our Light has successfully withstood over 2000 years of scrutiny without anyone finding sin.  He is our only hero.

3.     Preaching is important.  Seek to have such a sensitive heart that preaching something you even think may not be true makes you feel wretched.  Do not take shortcuts in preaching even though the stories are good, the points are true, and the intentions are noble.  The gospel is powerful enough to save without embellishment or assistance.

4.     No pulpit is big enough to hide our sins; our hearts and lives must be clean.

I still remember the sermon and how it convicted me.  And I am glad God spoke to me through it.  I hope He spoke to the preacher as well.

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